really need help stuffingbox

[arch007]

hi,

my stuffingbox seems to be dripping 1 drop every 4 seconds and I was thinking of replacing the flax.

But the access seems so tight I cannot see how to get a grip on the female and male nuts.

What is everyone using ?

There does not seem to be a hose so could the drip be due to something else ?

Thanks a lot. This dripping is making me worry a lot.

archie

[adamganz]

archie,

i just went through two seasons with the same issue. Last year I burned through a couple of batteries with my auto bilge pump and ultimately had to ask a friend to manually pump out the bilge if i was unable to get to the boat for more than a week.

My lock and packing nuts, like on many cape dories and as shown in the Spartan Marine catalog, look more like gears, with large teeth. Cape Dory makes wrenches that are supposed to work with these nuts but as others have noted, there is not enough clearance on either side of the nuts for these wrenches. Most folks on the board with this style of stuffing box use a large screw driver or metal bar and a hammer, and lightly tap/rotate the locking nut (clockwise looking aft), and then loosen the packing nut (counterclockwise looking aft).

Spartan Marine's catalog suggests the same process - and has the audacity to say that it's easy!!

While not necessary, Spartan carries pre-cut flax for a variety of prop shaft diameters.

I had a hell of a time threading the packing nut back on. A friend suggested that perhaps I bent the nut when I was pounding on it...not sure.

In any event, it was not fun. And I did it while on the hard.

[adamganz]

...but before you go through the process of replacing the flax, try tightening the stuffing box:

"Loosen" the lock nut (clockwise looking aft)

Tighten the packing nut (also clockwise looking aft)

"Tighten" the lock nut (bring it back into contact with the packing nut)

[tjr818]

That amazes me. In the six years we have owned Slainte all we have ever done is tighten the packing nut by hand and then snug up the lock nut with a modified oil filter wrench.

[adamganz]

see how easy it is....

[Paul D.]

One drop every 4 seconds is fine, with the motor in gear. If it is dripping like this whilst stationary then Yes I would tighten the packing nut as described (till it drips about one drop every 10 seconds or so when in gear but does not drip when still) and go through the season and then replace the packing at haul out or in the spring. I wouldn't get too caught up on how many drops it is dripping as long as it is 1 every ten seconds or more to ensure it is getting lubrication. Else you could score your prop shaft and all.

I do this job about every three years in two steps. First while still on the hard, remove and replace the packing. for this I use either a dental pick or fashion a hook out of an old sharpened awl. Repack with the new packing. Cutting it around a 1" stanchion or tube works well. Make sure to add plenty of lubricant for each of the three rows. I find it hard to get the threads started on my stuffing box after doing this so it helps to tap with a hammer to compress. Tighten up to what feels right.

Second. While in the water, I'll start the motor and have my son shift in and out of gear to see if it drips or not then adjust the stuffing box nut and lock nut till it is right. Tighten the lock nut against the packing nut, double check and your done. This job would be easy if you didn't have to contort yourself to get back in there. But it works.

I use the PTFE shaft packing with some PTFE lubricant.


http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?pa ... &id=685565

Good luck, remember, with these types of stuffing boxes dripping is good. No drip when under way is not.